2

"Abel's asking after you, Ash." Kassandra Sandoval chuckled, pinching Ashlyn in the ribs as she reached around her to grab the milk jug.

With a playful smile, Ashlyn bumped her friend back, accidentally knocking the bottle of soy milk from her hand. Kassandra squealed and jumped back, crashing into Ashlyn, laughing at the mess they had made. No one in the café was at all surprised by this behavior as they continued with their conversations. It was one of the many things people loved about Salt on the Dock. While the food and the coffee were of the highest quality, it was the joy and love that the café and staff exuded that made the cafe so vibrant.

Before Ashlyn could make a move for the mop, Kassandra was shooing her away.

Kass, let me, she signed, collecting the sodden carton from the floor, her canvas shoes leaving dirty footprints where she walked.

"I've got this, go. Abel's coffee is getting cold." Kassandra winked as she scooped two chocolate Danish's on to a plate and handed it to Ashlyn. Collecting the coffee in her other hand, Ashlyn rolled her eyes and smiled at her best friend.

It was a quiet Thursday morning at Salt. With most people beginning their day at work or school, it was the perfect time to spend with Abel. Since the day his wife had passed on, he'd been a lonely soul, his heart beating to the same melody as hers.

Reaching his table, she placed the Espresso and chocolate danish's in front of Abel as he looked up from the morning paper and smiled fondly. Putting the paper to the side, he stood to embrace her and kiss her cheek in greeting.

Good morning, she signed with a smile as the two of them sat.

"How are you, dear, truly?" he asked, knowing that this was always a difficult time of year for her and her family. Of course, the rest of the family had moved away, further inland, while she remained. They were together while she was here. But she was never alone; her Father's spirit lived on in everyone in Glassmont. Not a day went by that someone wasn't looking out for her.

I'm okay. It gets easier, a little more each year. Ashlyn tried hard to hide her pain, to refuse the tears that her eyes battled, yet the frail smile on her lips as she glanced at the rough coat of paint on her nails exposed just how much she was still hurting. Abel's hand was cold but reassuring as it rested atop hers. Taking a deep breath, Ashlyn shook her head and blinked away the unshed tears.

I'm okay. She smiled a little more confidently. How are you, friend?

"I'm good. I uh, I got an email from Mila. Can you believe they will be getting ready to welcome their baby soon? She thinks one, maybe two more weeks, and I will be an Opa. It's a blessing to have this child. After all the miscarriages and complications, I was worried she would never see this day."

A sheen of tears glistened in Abel's eyes as he stopped to wipe his cheeks and take a sip of coffee.

"Tyrone invited me to go and stay with them for a few weeks, so I can be there for the birth and spend some time with the family," he continued, wrapping his hands around the mug as though to warm them.

That's a great idea. It would do Abel good to spend some time with his daughter and son in law, to be with family. Not that she did not consider him family, only that she was limited in what she could do for him, and the joy of his grandchild would perform incredible healing for him. She knew, however, the challenge traveling would pose for him, especially with his heart. He had always refused to fly, and he had not left Maine for the past ten years. But she firmly believed that he needed to do this for his daughter and himself.

I think you should go. She took a bite of the Danish, and once again, Kass' baking tasted heavenly as her face lit with delight.

"That good, huh?" he chuckled. A light blush covered her cheeks as Ashlyn covered her mouth and rotated her other hand over her chest in apology.

The two of them ate in silence for a moment, but Ashlyn could tell that the thought of traveling out of town seriously concerned him.

Connecticut's only a 6-hour drive. I will go with you if that's what you want.

"That's sweet of you, darling, but if I'm going to do it, then it's something I need to face on my own." She placed her hand over his and squeezed in reassurance.

Ashlyn and Abel spent the next hour in friendly conversation as they discussed further Mila and Tyrone, and her brother Zion and his three kids in Boston. Abel shared about the current project he was working on, a new wood carving for the school courtyard; a sculpture of five different sized and different aged children standing together, united. He'd been working with wood and sculpting for the past 33 years—since he was 36—and was one of the best local talents to come out of Maine. Her home sported several of his masterpieces, and she considered herself one of his greatest supporters.

Ashlyn shared about the fascination she had with the current World History paper she was working on for college and how much joy it bought her to know she was one step closer to graduating. They laughed together about the trouble his three-legged dog Bumper had been getting himself into, and he consoled her when she mentioned her mother's new boyfriend, Luke. They spent the hour talking and laughing, and crying together as they delighted in the company of one another.

But all too quickly, their time was bought to an end when the bell over the door rang out, announcing the masses arriving for the lunch rush.

"Well, I guess I'd better be heading on my way. Thank you for giving up some of your time for an old man like me. And say hi to Kass for me." He grinned, nodding his head towards the front counter, where Kassandra was currently in a debate with a supplier over the phone. Kass glanced over and waved, wearing a look of exasperation as she continued her phone discussion.

With a smile, Ashlyn stood to begin clearing his dishes when she stopped. While Abel gathered his belongings from beneath the table, she reached into her apron and removed her morning's tips. As Abel stood to bid her farewell, she smiled kindly and took his hands. Pressing the money into his hands, Ashlyn held them in hers for a moment as his eyes began to shine again. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to offer if it meant he could see his daughter again.

Please go and see Mila. She withdrew her hands to sign before she embraced him in a hug.

"Thank you...thank you..." he cried as he held her tight, his heart warmed by her kindness. After a moment had passed, he pulled back and cupped her cheeks, the sincerest smile on his lips.

"You have a heart after your own Father, Tochter." He smiled, blessing her with the utmost compliment. Leaning in to kiss his cheek and wipe the tears from his cheeks, she gave him one last hug goodbye.

Gathering the dishes, she returned to the counter to greet the next customer with a welcoming smile, all while fighting to ignore the aching in her chest.